Electric switch



June 11, 1929. NQRVIEL 1,716,383

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 12, 1927 Patented June 11, 1929..

. umrso HARRY E. NOBVIEL, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO DELCO-REMY CORPORA- TION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ELECTRIC SWITGH Application filed April 12, 1927. Serial No. 183,142.

This invention relates to electrical switches and particularly to switches adapted to be operated by the brake pedal of an automobile for the purpose of closing a circuit to a stop lamp or other indicator at the rear end of the vehicle.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a brake which 'is very compact and durable in construction and which will provide for such movements of its contacts as are necessary to maintain a circuit closed during the major portion of the movement of the brake pedal. v I Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

1n the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view partly in section of a switch embodying the present invention, the

section being taken 'on the line 1--I of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a side view partly in section of the switch shown in Fig. 1, this view looking in the direction'of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1; Fi 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4 and shows the movable contactin one of its circuit closing positions;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 ofFig.3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the movable contact in another of its circuit closing positions; a

Fig. 6 is a sectional of Fig. 5; I I

Fig. 7 is a detailview of the non-conducting plate for carrying a movable contact; Fig. 8i's a detail view of a member for drivingly connecting the contact carrying element shown in Fig. 7 with an operating shaft; and 7 Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sideelevation of the switch case looking in the direction of the arrow 9 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 20 designates a box-like case having its top wall 21 attached to a bracket 22 by which the switch may be mounted upon some part of the automobile chassis. The case movable bottom secured in any suitable manner. An oblique view on the line 6--6 side wall 24 insulatingly'supports conducting pedal operated switch 20 is provided with a re-' plate or cover 23 which riyets 25 having tapped central holes for receiving terminal screws 26. Each rivet 25 1s accordingly connected with and secures to the wall 24 the base portion 27 of an electric contact 28. Each contact 28 is made of flexible sheet material and comprises a shank 0r bracket 29 extending from the'base 27 to an arcuate contact element which is concentric with respect to an operating shaft 31 supported by side walls Y32 and 33 of the switch case 20. The bracket portion 29 is formed to provide an arc-shaped or substantially angular member having the extremities thereof A joined to the base portion 27, and to the contact 30, respectively, with the intermediate portion thereof disposed in an adjacent part of the housing. This structure provides for the maximum amount of flexing of the COD... tact and brackets without subjecting either of them to probable rupture through cooperation with the movable contact and its car- 1'161.

The shaft 31 is provided near its central portion with diametrically opposite ridges 34 which serve as keys to drivingly connect the shaft 31 with a non-conducting contact support 35. As shown particularly in Fig. 7, the contact support 35 is provided with an aperture 36 shaped to receive the shaft 31 and having notches 37 each for receiving one of the shaft splines or keys 34. In order to reinforce the driving connection between the shaft 31 and the contact support 35, there is provided a metal reinforcing p 4Q having an opening 41 shaped llke the opening 36 in the part 35. The member 40 includes arms 42 which-are ada ted to be late Y bent into notches 43 provided by t e part 35,

afterthese parts have been assembled upon the shaft 31 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings.

The contact carrier 35 is at all times locat: ed between the arcuate contact portions 30 of the spring conductors 28, and carries a double headed contact rivet 44 normally out of engagement with the arcuate contacts 30 but adapted to provide an electrical connection between them when the carrier 35 is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. Y

The shaft 31 is attached to a lever 50 having a surface 51 adapted to be engaged by a lever 52 which is pivoted upon the shaft 31 but is not directly connected with it. The

lever 52 is adapted to be connected with the brake pedal of the automobile in -any suitable manner.

to a lever 53 which is adapted to be operated 5 by mechanism controlled by the transmission gear shift lever in such manner that when the gear shift-lever is moved into reverse position the lever 53 will. be operated to cause the switch to be closed. The system of operating levers is not of itself a part of the present invention but is described and claimed in thecopending application of Harry C. Doane, Serial No..198,33 9, filed June 13, 1927. 3

direction by a spring 60 having helical spring coils 61 surrounding the shaft 31 and joined by an intermediate-loop 62, a portion of which passes through a notch 63 provided by the contact carrier 35. The pring 60 is so biased that its central loop 62 tends to move in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs.

2, 3 and 5, and-the ends 64 of the spring-60 are retained in bayonet notches 65 extending from the bottpm edge 66 of the side 67 of the switch case as shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 9.

p The spring ends 64 tend to move downwardly as viewed in Fig.- 9 but are restrained byivlrtue of their engagement with the portions 68 of thewall 67 which are adjacent the bayonet slots 65. The spring ends 64 are biased so that they tend to approach each other. In this way the spring ends are resiliently maintained within the slots 65. This construetion avoids the necessity of using the cover 23 to maintain the spring ends in position;

therefore the cover 23 may be removed without interfering with the operation of the spring. 7 I i 40 A slight clockwise movement of the; shaft 31 will bring the movable contact 44'into engagement with the arcuate contacts 30 and will cause the arcuate contacts t6 take the position shown inFig. 4 in which their lower 45 ends 30 are'moved apartwhile their upper ends'30 are moved together. This move-. ment of the contacts 30 can take place with very little bending of the contact supporting bracket 29. As the shaft 31 continues to move 5 in a clockwise direction, the movable contact 44 will move in a circular pathto the position shown in Fig; 5. When contact .44; is in this position the upper portions 30 of the contacts 30 will be spread-apart by the com tact 4A: while the contact portions 30 will approach each other. The movement of the contacts 30 from the position shown in, Figs. 3 and 4 to the position shown in Fig.5 is accompa'nied'by-a slight twisting movement of the shank 29' but the bending of the shank 29, especially. the portions thereof adjacent their-bases 27 5 has been reduced to a mi11-- inium. This construction of the contacts of the switch permits such movement of the movable contact as is required due to its con- The shaft 31 is attached also The shaft 31 is urged in a counterclockwise nection with the brake pedal of the vehicle, without bending the spring conductors of the switch to such extent as to exceed their elastic limit. In other words, the stationary contacts of the switch are so constructed and "arranged that they will accommodate a rela tively great angular movement of the movable contact without causing any part of a stationary contact to be unduly strained so that it. would not return to is normal position after the movablecontact has been refollo lVhat is claimed is as follows:

.1. An electric switch comprising contacts, one movable relative to the other, one of the contacts being elongated so that engagement betweenthe contacts will be maintained during a substantial part of said relative movement; and a substantially. angular shank readily capable of twisting -movement for-- supporting theelongated contact in order that the elongated contact may readily tilt laterally relative to the-plane of said relative motion while engagingithe' other contact.

2. An electric switch comprising contacts,

.one movable relative to the other, one of the contacts-being elongated so that engagement between the contacts will be maintained during a substantial part of said relative movement; and a substantially angular contact supporting part attached to the elongated contact between its ends and readily capable of twisting movement in order thatthe elongated contact may readily. tilt laterally rela tive to the plane of said relative motion while engaging the other contact, the ends of the elongated contact being displaced respectively in opposite directions as relative movemnt between the contacts takes place.

' .3. An electric switch comprising-contacts,

one movable relative to the other, one of the contacts being elongated sothat engagement between the contactswill .be maintained dur-j ing a substantial part of said relative move-v ment; and a substantially angular torsionally'r'elatively flexible leaf spring part fixed.

at one end and connected at the other to the I elongated contactand adapted to twist read- 11y in order that the elongated contact may readily tilt laterally relative to the plane of said rel tive motion while engaging the other 1,7re,3es

contact and so that the bending of the leaf spring part about its fixed support will be 7 minimized.

4. An electric switch comprising contacts, one movable relative to the other, one of the contacts being elongated so that engagement between the contacts will be maintained during a substantial part of saidrelative movement; and a torsionally relatively flexible leaf respect to" the plane of the relative movement between the contacts and the other end of the elongated contact will be displaced laterally in the opposite direction.

5. An electric switch comprising apair of juxtaposed. spaced elongated contacts. a third contact for electrical connection with the pai r of contacts by concurrentlv engaging them: means for producing relative movement between the pair of contacts and the third contact; and torsionally relatively flexible members ofangular formation su porting the elongated contacts so that as relative movement between the third contact and the elongated contacts takes place. relative lateral displacement between the pairs of end portions of the elongated contacts will take place respectively in opposite directions.

6. An electric switch comprising a pair of juxtaposed, spaced elongated contacts, each one having integraltherewith and extending from an intermediate portion thereof a torsionally relatively flexible leaf spring shank of angular formation fixed at the end re motest from the elongated contact; athird contact forconcurrently engaging the elongated contacts; and means for producing relative movement between the third contact and the elongated contacts, the leaf spring parts twisting in opposite directions through saidshank so that, while said relative movement takes place, relative lateral'displacementbetween the pairs of end portions of the elongated contacts will take place in opposite directions.

7 An electricswitch comprising a pair of Iju xtaposeispaced elongated contacts. a third contact for electricaL connection with the pair of contacts by. concurrently engaging them; means for producing relative movement between the pair'of contacts and the third'contacft, and torsionally resilient areshaped bracket members joined to an intermediate part of said elongated contacts to permit relative lateral displacementv between the elongated contacts while minimizing the relative lateral displacement of the bracket members.

' In-testimony whereof I hereto aliix my sig-' nature.

HARRY n. NORVIEL. 

